A villager in Samba flees
on Monday. (PTI)
Srinagar, Jan. 5: Pakistani troops resumed firing on Indian positions today in Jammu after a day's lull, leaving a BSF jawan dead and sparking an exodus of residents.
Davinder Kumar, hit by a shell in the Samba district, is the fourth BSF trooper to die over the past week in ceasefire violations blamed on Pakistan.
"The firing is going on since this afternoon. The people are fleeing towards safer areas but it is difficult to say how many," said Mubarak Singh, the DM of Samba which along with Kathua bore the brunt of the attacks.
Sources said around 5,000 people had fled the shelling zone in the two districts. "They (Pakistani troops) have increased both the range and the intensity of the shelling. In some cases, areas as far as 4km (inside Indian territory) have come under shelling," Kathua DM Shahid Iqbal said, adding 3,000 people in the district were staying in temporary shelters.
An official in Kathua said all educational institutions would remain closed from tomorrow till further orders. Exams have been postponed.
BSF chief D.K. Pathak will visit Jammu tomorrow, according to PTI. He briefed home minister Rajnath Singh today on the situation.
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